Monday, September 19, 2016

My friend Helen wanted to know why I am so fascinated with resin. She asked after we met for lunch following my translucent screen printed resin jewelry tutorial post which used her screen designs. Perhaps it is because I once worked in the lab - you know, all that stirring and pouring of chemicals! I am also naturally curious about the sort of conditions which affect the polymerization of epoxy resin. For instance, if you have an attic studio like my Canadian friend, Aims, resin would have a hard time curing there for much of the year.

My interest in the creative uses of epoxy resin was first tweaked when I stumbled upon Fran Valera of Little Windows' amazingly creative video series. Who knew you could bend resin? Since then I have had so much fun with this material. It is very versatile. Use it to protect designs. The glass like finish is an advantage if you don't want breakages. And there are no fumes.

Some followers asked me for the tutorial. It has taken me a while to get around to writing the how-to, so thanks for your patience! The go-go cut out feature tutorial will be out later this week.

I have tried many brands of resin but my favorite has to be Little Windows' Brilliant Resin. Like ICE Resin, it's designed for jewelry making - nice doming. Both are also low bubble producers. But unlike Ice Resin, Brilliant Resin is completely colorless. I suspect the process of making it so clear and colorless also involves taking out more impurities. This probably accounts for the longer shelf life.

Brilliant resin uses a 2: 1 ratio of the parts. I have to remember the difference when I use other resins which are often 1:1! There is a benefit to the 2:1 as it is usually Part B which goes off with time. Little Windows also sells Part B separately for those who do not use resin a lot and need to replace the yellowed part. Note : You can color the resin if you find the cured resin is yellowish but there will be a point with old resin when the combined parts will fail to cure.

It's not that other brands are bad. They just vary in price points, formulations and shelf life. So pick the right kind for your purpose. For example, I really like the colorless ArtResin brand (below right) which is uv stabilized (non-yellowing). But unfortunately the polymerization reaction of this brand creates a ton of bubbles. It is great for the purpose it was designed for - covering art work. So the bubbles tend to pop on their own if the resin layer is thin. The rest can be blown off or chased off with a few waves of a small handheld torch. I found getting rid of the Art Resin bubbles was much harder when working with deeper molds. So it is worth it to get a low bubble producer in the first place.

Want to play with resin and come up with unique designs of your own? Then here is the chance to
win $50 worth of resin jewelry making supplies from Little Windows, please make a comment below. Make sure you leave contact info below if you do not have an online shop or blog.

Email subscribers need to scroll down the post they receive, click on Share Comment and enter your comment. Pick Name/URL. If you don't have a store or blog, leave the URL blank.

This giveaway is for US and Canadian readers only.

Extra entries if you become or are a blog subscriber or follower etc. If you also do shout outs about this giveaway, those will count as additional entries too! Please say so in the comments. (The exception is Facebook - just like/comment on the giveaway status there!!)

It ends in a week's time at 6 pm EST Monday, September 26, 2016. I will pick the winner randomly and announce the results as soon as possible after. So be sure to leave a contact email if you don't have an online link or make sure you come back and check! Otherwise I will redraw in a week. Good luck!

Disclosure I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.

Photography

All final project images were captured in natural light using my iPhone 6S, the camera+ app and the Modahaus TS320 Tabletop Photo Studio. Studio pictures were captured using artificial lights. Photo editing was done in-app with final tweaks in Adobe Photoshop Elements. Click for more information on my How to Photography Jewelry Webinar.

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You could say Pearl was born to be a jewelry designer with a name like that! She is the author of The Beading Gem's Journal now simply called The Beading Gem, a popular jewelry making, inspirational and how-to website. Subscribe for your daily dose of tips and tutorials and more

Really nice!!I have never done this work, but was always wanting to give it a try!! It would be so awesome to win this!! And I could even have beautiful Christmas Gifts to give to the Family!! Thanks Pearl :) Love everything about your work!! Camilla

I have always wanted to try using resin but the craft stores around me never seem to carry any. But I must find some since I found a very unique way of making a basket bottom by casting with resin and then drilling holes that can be crocheted with.

Talk about amazing timing. I'm about to put in an order to Little-Windows. I love their product. Winning a gift certificate would be such a boon! I'm a long time Beading Gem subscriber. Will give a shoutout about the giveaway on Facebook and Instagram. Thank you.

I've got resin here that's been sitting for a couple of years I think and all because my studio never is consistently warm enough to use it. My dried flowers sit in their plastic containers waiting to see the light of day again...poor things..

I might as well make up some of this and colour it - then see if it cures or not. If not - I guess I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed for a warm summer next year and order from LW!

I have to say I think your pieces are stunning Pearl! First thing I thought of is "Those will sell!" I'm looking forward to that tutorial as well.

Watching Fran's tutorial just kicked off tons of ideas! Her button technique alone made me think that you could embed an earring post in resin on the back and have instant studs or whatever design you wanted. I bet it would work!!

Even though I'm held back by a cold studio I like to watch the tutorials. I find that I often learn something that I can apply elsewhere even if I can't do resin most days. Watching the tutorials always kickstarts my designing abilities and I often come away with this desire to race to the studio and sit down at my bench!

I'd love to give Fran's technique a try! Maybe if I design some sort of small work space with a heater nearby....hmmmm......

This makes me so happy! With Pearl's guidance, I know you'll all have such fun making with Brilliant Resin. A quick note: while working in a nice warm space is best, with Brilliant Resin the temperature in your creative space isn't nearly as important as it is with other brands. As long as your Part A is warm, your pieces should set up just fine. Thin resin = easier mixing and bubble release, so warm up your Part A following the tips on the label (brief microwave or warm water bath), and have fun :)

Little Windows giveaway? Oh please! Oh please!! I look and drool often at their website after seeing them here first. Thank you Pearl. One of these days I will be able to afford to actually get some of their products. Fingers are crossed!

I love using Little Windows Resin. I would love to win this certificate to buy more of it. It is very easy to mix and use. I love the accessories you can use with the resin. Definitely going to take advantage of the discount code, as well. Thank you for offering the giveaway.

I have been wanting to give this a try since I started seeing the amazing projects that you make. This would be a wonderful way to get my feet wet. Thanks for the chance to win. Follow you on Facebook, pinterest, blog, email, :-) would love to win this. Have a Nunn piece still waiting for just this application

I have just started dabbling in jewelry making with beading, clay, and incorporating yarn/crochet but I have yet to use resin! I would love to try it out and I think it would be a great way to make christmas gifts!